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Jozy Altidore lifts U.S. past Honduras in WC qualifier

SANDY, Utah – June has belonged to Jozy Altidore, and the magic of the month continued Tuesday night when the forward scored his fourth consecutive goal in the U.S. men's soccer team's 1-0 victory against

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Jozy Altidore lifts U.S. past Honduras in WC qualifier

Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY Sports
2:16 a.m. EDT June 19, 2013

United States forward Jozy Altidore (17) celebrates with defender Fabian Johnson (23) and midfielder Eddie Johnson (18) after scoring a goal in the second half against Honduras in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at Rio Tinto Stadium.(Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

SANDY, Utah –Like a kid on the last day of school, Jozy Altidore couldn't wait to answer the last question and sign the final autograph.

"Now it's vacation, and that's all I'm looking forward to, Game 7 Thursday night, Miami Heat," Altidore said as he made his way out of Rio Tinto Stadium.

For a kid who grew up in Florida, it was a very good night. Altidore's hometown team forced a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, and his national team made a substantial step toward next summer's World Cup in Brazil.

"Looking at it now, we have one foot in Brazil," Altidore said after scoring the winning goal in the USA's 1-0 victory against Honduras. "Now it's up to us to remain disciplined, win a game or two more to put ourselves in a good position."

The sold-out crowd of 20,250 agreed. In the final minutes, the "We are going to Brazil" chant began. The USA hasn't lost a home qualifier in 25 games, and with the result the Americans (4-1-1) remain comfortably in first place with 13 points in the six-team regional standings heading into summer break. The USA's next World Cup qualifier isn't until Sept. 6 against Costa Rica.

United States forward Jozy Altidore (17) celebrates with defender Fabian Johnson (23) after scoring a goal in the second half against Honduras in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

United States forward Jozy Altidore (17) celebrates with defender Fabian Johnson (23) and midfielder Eddie Johnson (18) after scoring a goal in the second half against Honduras in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

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June began quite differently as many wondered when the forward would finally find the back of the net. The 23-year-old had set the scoring record for a U.S. player in Europe with 31 goals for his Dutch club, AZ Alkmaar, but had been on an epic scoring drought with the national team.

"To be honest, I never was really worried about it at all," Altidore said.

He made others fret less when he scored his first national team goal since Nov. 15, 2011, as the U.S. defeated Germany, 4-3, in an international friendly on June 2. Goals in victories against Jamaica and Panama followed before his Honduras strike tied the national team record for consecutive goals.

"We are very happy for Jozy," Klinsmann said. "We always told him from a coaching perspective that it takes a lot of hard work, hunger, and the energy he put in the last four or five games is tremendous."

On a play started by Graham Zusi on the left edge of the penalty box, Fabian Johnson's smart pass allowed Altidore to slide a low shot past keeper Noel Valladares in the 73rd minute. With the score, Altidore threw up his hands and hugged his teammates as red, white and blue streamers floated onto the field.

"Huge compliment to the team," Klinsmann said. "We told them at halftime to keep pushing, to raise a little bit the tempo even more, to find Jozy more, to find Clint (Dempsey) more, to find those little gaps that they were leaving open.

"A good team finds ways to score, and that's what they did. They scored, and they deserve a huge compliment. In a game like this, what really matters is that you keep going and be patient and find the goal."

Before summer break began, Klinsmann cautioned his team about developing senioritis. He reminded his players of last year's experience when their break began after a deflating tie against Guatemala. "I don't want to have that feeling in my stomach going into summer break," Klinsmann said.

The MLS players will return to their clubs, but the European-based members get a break before their preseason camps begin.

"Now it's easy to go on vacation and enjoy some cold beers, swimming pool and all the other stuff," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "We're leaving on a high. This sets us up great for the autumn qualifiers. It's been an upbeat summer, but it will be a better fall."

Captain Clint Dempsey was already looking forward to what fish will be biting when he goes fishing with his dad in his hometown of Nacogdoches, Texas. For their family vacation, his wife and three children will spend time in Texas and then go to North Carolina, where his wife's family is based.

As for Altidore, all that's clear is what he's doing on Thursday. "Miami Heat, baby!" he said, walking out of the stadium with his cleats in hand.